The art of paper flower making is thought to have started in China soon after paper itself was invented. These paper blossoms were made to float on water as religious offerings. In time, this art form travelled around the globe, brought by travellers and explorers to the western world. Subsequently, Victorian women were known to have made paper flowers by carefully taking apart real flowers, tracing them onto paper, painting them and reassembling them with glue or wire. Contemporary versions of these are still made to this day around the world.

Gather your materials onto a clear work surface. This activity will show you how to make flowers in two different ways, starting with coloured paper flowers. Begin with coloured paper, scissors, and glue or tape.

Start with a square piece of paper. Fold it in half two times, making it into a smaller square. Then make one more fold, this time diagonally from corner to corner, so it looks like a triangle.

Next, cut the top off of your triangle, making a rounded shape so that it looks like a flower petal. Make sure to cut from the open side to the folded edge.

Unfold the paper to see your flower, and make one cut between two of the petals.

Glue or tape the two petals together, one on top of the other so that your paper flower has a curve to it.

Take a slightly smaller piece of paper and repeat steps two to five so that you have a second flower.

Place a dab of glue or piece of tape on the inside of the larger flower, near the bottom. Place the smaller one on top if it, sticking them together. Press firmly to make sure they stay together, and allow them to dry.

Next it's time to make the tissue paper flowers. Place three layers of square tissue paper on top of one another. These can be all the same colour or different

Follow steps two to three, folding all the layers together as one, so you have the same flower shape on all pieces when you're finished.

Next, instead of cutting in between two petals to make your flower rounded, pinch the back centre of the flower, making sure to grasp all layers and twist them together to create a small tail. You can tape this tail so it stays tight.

The remaining steps are optional. Now, you can add stems to both types of flowers. For the tissue paper flower, tape the end of a pipe cleaner onto the short tail, then wrap it around twice to secure it.

For the paper flower, poke a hole through the centre of the flower using your pencil. Thread the pipe cleaner through, leaving a bit at the front.

Bend the top of the pipe cleaner that is inside the flower. This will stop it from pulling through the centre. On the back, tie a knot with the pipe cleaner, making sure to pull it tightly, but gently so that you don’t break the paper.

Continue doing this to all of your flowers, adding stems until you have a beautiful bouquet!

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